An evaluation of the recently approved drugs for treating atopic dermatitis in the context of their safety and efficacy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present paper aimed to conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of crisaborole, delgocitinib, and ruxolitinib in treating mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD). MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases were utilized to search articles published during the years 2015–2024. The review was limited to randomized controlled studies that measured specific outcomes for safety and efficacy aspects, including adverse events (AEs) or treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) to evaluate safety and Investigator’s static global assessment (ISGA) or improvement of at least 75% of Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) to evaluate efficacy. The review included 17 articles in the analysis. The safety odds ratios (ORs) among participants using crisaborole, delgocitinib, and ruxolitinib were 1.14, 95% CI [0.97–1.36], 1.18, 95% CI [0.84–1.67], and 0.72, 95% CI [0.55–0.94], respectively, when compared to control groups. The three studied topical AD treatments were found to be significantly more effective compared to control groups (crisaborole, OR = 1.78, 95% CI [1.51–2.10], delgocitinib, OR = 6.34, 95% CI [3.57–11.27], and ruxolitinib, OR = 7.30, 95% CI [5.10–10.44]). Delgocitinib and ruxolitinib demonstrated favorable safety and effectiveness profiles across various age cohorts, whereas crisaborole raised concerns over its safety and efficacy, particularly in children.